Device, system and method of modification of PCI express packet digest

Abstract

Device, system and method of modification of PCI Express packet digest. For example, an apparatus includes a credit-based flow control interconnect device to generate a credit-based flow control interconnect Transaction Layer Packet in which one or more bits of a digest portion carry non-ECRC data.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for modifying Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) express packet digest, said apparatus comprising:
 a credit-based flow control interconnect device to generate a credit-based flow control interconnect Transaction Layer Packet (TLP) in which one or more bits of a digest portion carry non End-to-End Cyclic Redundancy Check (ECRC) data; 
 wherein a header portion of said TLP comprises an indication that said digest portion carries the non-ECRC data; and 
 wherein said digest portion is used to transport the non ECRC data unrelated to any TLP protocol comprising application specific data thereby reducing data credits consumed by said TLP. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the non-ECRC data comprises application-specific data unrelated to TLP data poisoning. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a header of the Transaction Layer Packet comprises an indication that said digest portion carries non-ECRC data. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a header of the Transaction Layer Packet comprises an indication that said digest portion carries application-specific data unrelated to TLP poisoning. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a header of the Transaction Layer Packet comprises an indication that a receiving device is to decode the non-ECRC data carried in the digest portion. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a header of the Transaction Layer Packet comprises an indication that an intermediate device is to disregard a result of an ECRC check of said Transaction Layer Packet. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the credit-based flow control interconnect device comprises a PCI Express device, and wherein the credit-based flow control interconnect Transaction Layer Packet comprises a PCI Express Transaction Layer Packet. 
     
     
       8. A method for modifying Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) express packet digest, said method comprising:
 generating a credit-based flow control interconnect Transaction Layer Packet (TLP) in which one or more bits of a digest portion carry non End-to-End Cyclic Redundancy Check (ECRC) data; 
 including in a header portion of said TLP an indication that said digest portion carries non-ECRC data; and 
 utilizing said digest portion to transport non ECRC data unrelated to any TLP protocol comprising application specific data thereby reducing the data credits consumed by said TLP. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein generating comprises:
 placing the non-ECRC data in a digest space that normally corresponds to ECRC data. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein generating comprises:
 placing in a header of the Transaction Layer Packet an indication that said digest portion carries non-ECRC data unrelated to TLP poisoning. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , wherein generating comprises:
 placing in a header of the Transaction Layer Packet an indication that said digest portion carries application-specific data unrelated to TLP poisoning. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , wherein generating comprises:
 placing in a header of the Transaction Layer Packet an indication that a receiving device is to decode the non-ECRC data carried in the digest portion. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8 , wherein generating comprises:
 placing in a header of the Transaction Layer Packet an indication that an intermediate device is to disregard a result of an ECRC check of said Transaction Layer Packet and to transfer the Transaction Layer Packet. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8 , wherein generating the credit-based flow control interconnect Transaction Layer Packet comprises generating a PCI Express Transaction Layer Packet. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 sending application-specific data using a header credit. 
 
     
     
       16. A system for modifying Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) express packet digest, said system comprising:
 a credit-based flow control interconnect device to generate a credit-based flow control interconnect Transaction Layer Packet (TLP) in which one or more bits of a digest portion carry non End-to-End Cyclic Redundancy Check (ECRC) data; 
 a credit-based flow control interconnect link to transfer the Transaction Layer Packet; 
 wherein a header portion of said TLP comprises an indication that said digest portion carries non-ECRC data; and 
 wherein said digest portion is used to transport non ECRC data unrelated to any TLP protocol comprising application specific data thereby reducing the data credits consumed by said TLP. 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16 , wherein based on an indication in a header of the Transaction Layer Packet, the credit-based flow control interconnect link is to disregard a result of an ECRC check of said Transaction Layer Packet. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 an additional credit-based flow control interconnect device to receive the Transaction Layer Packet and to extract the non-ECRC data from the digest portion. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 18 , wherein based on an indication in a header of the Transaction Layer Packet, the additional credit-based flow control interconnect link is to avoid performing an ECRC check of said Transaction Layer Packet. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the credit-based flow control interconnect device comprises a PCI Express device, wherein the credit-based flow control interconnect Transaction Layer Packet comprises a PCI Express Transaction Layer Packet, and wherein the credit-based flow control interconnect link comprises a PCI Express link.